The Mossos are looking for the arsonist responsible for the fire in Pont de Vilomara, Barcelona

The Fire Department of the Generalitat have reviewed in the early hours of this Wednesday the perimeter of the fire that has hit the town of Pont de Vilomara, in Barcelona. Between Sunday and Monday, the flames destroyed more than 1,700 hectares and dozens of homes were affected -some destroyed- by the virulence of the fire. Many neighbors have been left homeless. Responsible for everything, an arsonist that the Mossos d’Esquadra are already looking for.

The head of the body of Rural Agents of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Jaume Torralba, has confirmed during a press conference that he found two points near a road where the fire originated.

Torralba has revealed that “the main hypothesis is that it has been intentional. There are two points of origin, and no other pattern than intentionality has been found in both. The case has been prosecuted and we cannot give more details”.

The fire in the neighboring municipality of Sant Vicenç de Castellet on 14 July was also intentional. This has been reported by the head of Rural Agents. The Mossos suspect that both fires were caused by the same person. Throughout the night of Tuesday 29 land endowments participated in extinction works.

54% of the fires in Spain are intentional and so far in 2022, 185 people have been arrested. Arson is defined as a crime against the environment and collective security, as such. In addition, 26% of the fires are caused by accidents and human negligence, such as forest recreation, throwing cigarette butts, inadequate waste disposal, etc.

Also, the lack of cleanliness and labor is another cause that can motivate the origin of the flames. With the heat wave that has suffocated the country, the forests have been exposed and many of them have succumbed to the flames, more than 60,000 hectares have been burned. The wind and high temperatures make extinction difficult.